Students' Conceptions of Energy of Lights and Photons
 

Abstract Information

 
 
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  Session: PER: Research on Student Difficulties - Thermodynamics, Modern Physics, and Astronomy
  Meeting: 123rd AAPT National Meeting: Rochester, NY
  Location: Highland K, Convention Ctr.
  Date: 7/23/01
  Time: 11:00 a.m.
  Author: Seunghee Lee, Kansas State Univ.
785-532-7167, slee@phys.ksu.edu
  Co-Author(s): Dean A. Zollman, Kirsten Hogg
  Abstract: We have conducted written surveys that probed students' concepts of energy of different colors of light. The students were asked to compare the energy of two different colors (red and blue) of lights under different conditions. We find that most students have some misconceptions about the relation between colors of light and energy on the pre-test. We also find that students' ideas change throughout the instruction on this topic. Phenomenography is used for the analysis method.
  Footnotes: *Supported by NSF grant #DUE-9652888.